With three out of four people believing training courses to be a waste of time, Orangebox Training Solutions is turning training on its head and doing things differently.
As it reaches its second anniversary, the innovative North-East based training company is celebrating the success of its ‘outside of the box’ approach with a line of business triumphs.
The company, which operates from its offices on Queens Meadow Business Park in Hartlepool, is set to achieve a turnover in excess of £350,000 thanks to the expansion of its operations and training offering.
Established in March 2016 by Managing Director Simon Corbett, a former specialist operations police officer, the company started off specialising in the delivery of effective communication and management training courses.
Orangebox has since grown its course offering, delivering a range of first aid, fire safety, and health and safety and fully funded courses, and to date has trained over 7,000 people.
Simon said: “Training has a stigma attached to it. 75% of training that is carried out is considered ineffective purely because they’re dreaded by most participants who believe them to be boring and a waste of time.
“On starting up Orangebox back in 2016, I knew I wanted to change this. I wanted the company to be renowned for providing memorable and enjoyable training courses, that were considered beneficial for participants and value for money by businesses, setting us apart in a highly competitive market.”
Over the past two years, Orangebox has delivered training course to a varied portfolio of clients, including Barnardos, Durham County Council, Elddis Transport, Marston Holding, Newcastle Building Society, Anglian Water, Specsavers and Veolia, as well as a number of schools, doctors surgeries, and care homes across the North East.
Most recently, Orangebox has been involved in the Government’s Sector Based Work Academy Scheme, where in partnership with the job centre and local FE colleges in the region, the company has delivered training courses to help people who are struggling to find employment get back in to work.
This year, with financial support from the Tees Valley Business Compass, Orangebox has expanded its operations overseas, delivering its flagship course, Dynamic Deliveries, to teachers in schools in the UAE.
Simon added: “Orangebox is currently working with two international schools in Dubai, delivering courses to groups of teachers to help build their confidence when it comes to communicating effectively in situations outside of the classroom.
“The aim going forward is to build similar relationships with international schools and academies across Europe, tapping in to the ongoing need for strong communicators within the education sector.”
As well as expanding its operations overseas, the company aims to cement a strong, well-respected training course offering in cities across the UK.
Orangebox has already made a footprint in the capital. In partnership with one of its biggest clients, Engie, it has carried out a number of management training programmes with the company’s graduate management talent pool in London.
Simon said: “Orangebox has grown a strong presence within the North East and the natural next step is to roll out what we’ve done here in the region nationally.
“Using a similar training model to the one used for Engie, we plan to expand our offering to businesses with similar needs in other major cities across the UK.”
Growing from a single person business, the company now employs six full time members of staff, alongside a team of 20 experienced trainers.
With the latest recruit starting at the beginning of March and further appointments expected, Orangebox has plans for continued expansion across all areas of the business over the next 12 months.
Simon concluded: “I am incredibly proud of how much Orangebox has grown over the past two years, it certainly wasn’t something I expected. I’m excited to see the company continue to grow, with further appointments over the next 12 months, and continued delivery of outside of the box training across the UK.”
